skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Wednesday, September 18, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Medical copays reduce health care access in MS prisons; Israel planted explosives in pagers sold to Hezbollah according to official sources; Serving looks with books: Libraries fight 'fast fashion' by lending clothes; Menhaden decline threatens Virginia's ecosystem, fisheries.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

JD Vance calls for toning down political rhetoric, while calls for his resignation grow because of his own comments. The Secret Service again faces intense criticism, and a right to IVF is again voted down in the US Senate.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

A USDA report shows a widening gap in rural versus urban health, a North Carolina county remains divided over a LGBTQ library display, and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz' policies are spotlighted after his elevation to the Democratic presidential ticket.

Extension of Long-Term Unemployment Benefits Clears Senate Hurdle

play audio
Play

Wednesday, January 8, 2014   

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - A glimmer of hope appeared Tuesday for those still unemployed, as legislation to resume long-term jobless benefits cleared a key hurdle in the U.S. Senate.

The vote to begin debate on the bill passed 60-37. Among the supporters of extending the emergency benefits is Matt Mullen, executive director of Tennessee Citizen Action, who said many still haven't gotten back on their feet after the recession.

"Yes, the economy is improving, but it's really improving at a snail's pace," he said. "These individuals are trying to find work, and just by cutting them off so abruptly we would just be doing a disservice to a lot of Tennesseans."

Both Tennessee senators, Republicans Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker, voted against the extension. In the U.S. House of Representatives, Speaker John Boehner has said he would consider such legislation but only if it includes a plan to pay for the program and put people back to work.

In Tennessee, Mullen said, the extension would provide a vital safety net for about 20,000 long-term job hunters, whose efforts to get back into the workforce - like that of other jobless Americans - become tougher with each passing day.

"The employers are less likely to hire you if you've been unemployed for a certain amount of weeks," he said. "Outside of extending emergency unemployment benefits, there really hasn't been a lot of talk of how to help these long-term unemployed."

About 1.3 million workers lost all unemployment benefits on Dec. 28. Without congressional action, another 3.6 million will see their benefits expire during this year.

The bill and information on who voted how are online at senate.gov.


get more stories like this via email

more stories
Including the $236 million in federal funding for wildland fire management recently announced for 2025, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has invested a total of $1 billion to the cause, according to the Department of the Interior. (Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

This month, the federal government announced funding for next year's wildfire management, totaling $236 million and experts hope threatened …


Social Issues

play sound

From gubernatorial candidate Mark Robinson to Superintendent of Public Instruction hopeful Michele Morrow, some Republicans running for office have …

Social Issues

play sound

California is home to more than 181,000 people who are unhoused, with 75,000 in Los Angeles alone, so the Los Angeles Food Policy Council will host a …


The California Department of Conservation is holding a public meeting online on Sept. 24, to update the public on its progress in plugging abandoned oil wells. (Alizada Studios/Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

Groups concerned about pollution and climate change are asking Gov. Gavin Newsom to sign a trio of bills dubbed the "make polluters pay" package…

Social Issues

play sound

This week, National Voter Registration Day was another timely reminder for Ohioans preparing for the 2024 general election. The latest reports from …

The American Heart Association said caregivers often experience personal and spiritual growth, discovering their own resilience, competence and capacity for sacrifice as they help a friend or loved one. (Justlight/Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

September is Self-Care Awareness Month and the American Heart Association in Missouri is urging caregivers to take some much-needed time for themselve…

Environment

play sound

In Virginia's waters, the decline of a small but critically important fish is causing growing concern among conservation groups and fishermen alike…

Social Issues

play sound

Colorado voters will decide whether to change the state's constitution to ensure families have school choice as a fundamental right. Kallie Leyba…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021